 Nigel Kneale, creator of Quatermass, dies
One of the founding fathers of telefantasy, Nigel Kneale, has died at the age of 84. As a screenwriter he was best known for his creation of the cult sci-fi character Professor Bernard Quatermass.
Although nothing brought him more fame than the television and film versions of Quatermass, in which the eponymous rocket scientist battled with aliens from other planets, Kneale had a long and varied career as a TV and movie scriptwriter.
He wrote stand-alone plays including the influential chiller The Stone Tape and also forged a successful career adapting other writers' works, including a superb adaptation of Susan Hill's ghostly novel The Woman in Black for ITV in 1989.
Quatermass has long been recognised as one of the major influences in the creation of Doctor Who, though Kneale turned down the offer to write for that show when it was underway. |